5 Health Benefits of Meditation You Didn’t Know

Meditation is not just a spiritual activity. It has health benefits too. It is scientifically proven that meditation has beneficial effects on your physical and mental health.

A scientific study conducted on 201 people with heart disease who practised transcendental meditation concluded that their overall risk of heart attack and stroke was reduced by 48%.

Another study that focused on the human brain analysed MRI scans of people who meditated vs. people who never meditated and concluded that meditation could sharpen our brain function.

But what exactly is meditation? A lot of people think it is a very difficult and strenuous task where one has to let go of their thoughts, get rid of emotions and try to control the mind. That’s not true. Meditation, if rightly understood and practiced, is absolutely effortless.

The core essence of meditation is to simply step back and become more aware, to witness one’s thoughts clearly, without any judgment and to eventually relax the mind in the process.

Our thoughts are like clouds. They are constantly moving. To meditate is to observe these clouds pass by and not let them pour down on you. It’s as simple as that. And as we practice this on a daily basis, our mind learns to unwind, relax and focus.